The Embassy of Italy in Islamabad has flagged an unprecedented surge in doubtful and cast paperwork connected to check visa functions, and has warned that submitting faux certificates would result in the rapid rejection of their functions and will negatively influence any future functions.
The Italian Embassy in Islamabad additionally warned Pakistani candidates to not submit faux proof of funds.
Italy is just not alone in warning Pakistani visa candidates. Lately, Australia and Germany have additionally flagged submissions of pretend paperwork, false claims and fraudulent brokers in Pakistan.
Pakistan has confronted a number of visa-fraud instances, together with the 2021 theft of 1,000 real clean Schengen visa stickers from the Italian Embassy in Islamabad. A British envoy in 2012 referred to as Pakistan a “world chief” in visa scams, whereas Pakistani authorities have repeatedly intercepted travellers utilizing cast paperwork, based on stories.
SURGE IN FAKE DOCUMENT SUBMISSION IN ISLAMABAD MISSION: ITALY
“The Embassy of Italy in Islamabad has observed an unprecedented surge in doubtful or cast paperwork connected to check visa functions,” the Embassy posted on X on Wednesday (September 2).
For the 2026–27 educational yr, candidates should present they’ve not less than 10,179.85 Euros, or about PKR 3.26 million, to assist themselves in Italy.
Nevertheless, the Research Visa — College Enrolment Pointers acknowledged by the Embassy of Italy mentioned that the evaluation is just not merely primarily based on the financial institution stability proven on the day of the applying. Officers would take a look at the broader socio-economic scenario of the coed or the sponsor and whether or not adequate funds are repeatedly out there to assist the coed throughout their keep.
The Embassy additionally specified that evaluation of economic necessities won’t be primarily based solely on the nominal account stability on the time of the visa utility or on one-off or advert hoc deposits.
In keeping with Italy’s Nationwide Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), 1,030 Pakistani residents obtained new residence permits for research in Italy in 2023. The determine fell to 833 in 2024, a decline of round 19%. Pakistan was the fifth-largest non-European Union nationality amongst new study-permit holders in Italy in 2024.
The Italian Embassy has not publicly disclosed what number of functions contained cast paperwork or supplied a numerical breakdown of the alleged surge.
PAKISTAN’S LONG HISTORY OF VISA FRAUD AND SCAMS
Italy is just not the one nation warning Pakistani visa candidates about fraudulent documentation and scams. The Australian Excessive Fee in Islamabad had earlier warned visa candidates from Pakistan that immigration scammers submit bogus paperwork or false claims as a part of an utility.
Germany has additionally warned Pakistani visa candidates about fraudulent brokers. In a discover revealed in Might, the German Missions in Islamabad mentioned brokers had been masquerading as embassies in Pakistan, providing faux registrations, promising quicker visa appointments, whereas stressing that official waiting-list registration was free.
In June 2021, round 1,000 clean Schengen visa stickers had been reportedly stolen from the locker room of the Italian Embassy in Islamabad. The theft was confirmed by Pakistani authorities after the Italian diplomatic mission reported the incident.
The data was shared with Pakistan’s Inside Ministry and the Federal Investigation Company (FIA). The incident raised safety considerations because the stickers had been real Italian visa paperwork, not cast ones.
The stolen visa materials was later linked to an tried journey by way of a 3rd nation. In a single case, a passenger travelling by way of the Maldives was intercepted whereas making an attempt to journey onward to Europe utilizing a visa sticker recognized as one of many 1,000 stickers stolen from the Italian Embassy in Islamabad.
In July 2012, then British Excessive Commissioner to Pakistan Adam Thomson described Pakistan as a worldwide chief in visa and passport forgery. He mentioned round 4,000 folks had been caught the earlier yr whereas making an attempt to amass British passports utilizing faux paperwork.
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